If you’re weighing up the merits of job boards vs. recruiters, you probably assume both are pretty good. In reality, posting on a job board could actively hurt your career – particularly in a specialist field like the vet industry. Here’s why.
You’ll get lost in the crowd
Trying to get a vet job without going through a recruiter is like trying to make it as an actor or novelist without having an agent. It’s technically possible, but you’ll be lost in a sea of questionably qualified hopefuls. Hiring managers receive a slush pile of CVs from job boards and even through their own websites. When you work with a good recruiter, you’ll stand out as an exclusive candidate and demonstrate your worth.
You’ll miss the inside info
Recruiters can give you insights into the company culture and environment, the hiring manager’s personality and expectations, what to say and what not to say. They can help you with salary negotiations and give feedback on how the interview went. A job board does none of that, leaving you at a disadvantage.
You’ll get bombarded with phone calls
You might think getting lots of calls is a good sign, but many candidates end up taking their CVs off job boards because they’re so tired of getting endless phone calls, often for jobs they’re not interested in. A good recruiter will act as a single point of contact for you and save you from interruptions.
Your job search will be needlessly stressful
Recruiters are the experts on interview technique and will hold your hand throughout the process, helping you prepare for each interview. Many of our candidates have told us our coaching was the factor that enabled them to get the job. Our hiring managers have also noticed that our candidates show up better prepared than job-board candidates and make a better impression.
Anyone can get hold of your CV… including your boss
Putting your CV on a job board takes it out of your control. It’s out there in public where anyone can see it, including your current employer. In fact, some employers keep tabs on job boards so they can catch employees looking for other work. In contrast, a recruiter will strategically market you in the right places while protecting your confidentiality
You’ll get overexposed
Hiring managers are looking for that special candidate who stands out from the crowd. If three different recruiters get hold of your CV from a job board and call the hiring manager about you, it makes you look desperate and hurts your credibility. Hiring managers have told us that when this happens, it’s a red flag and makes them wonder if the candidate is about to get fired or is a serial job-hopper.
You may never even hear about your dream job
Many jobs are never advertised. Especially in a specialist field like veterinary medicine, some employers just go directly to a recruiter and ask for a selection of the best talent. If you’re not with a recruiter, you’re not that talent.
The numbers will NOT be on your side
A single ad on a job board can receive as many as 20,000 CVs. Only 10% of those are even read by a real person. This can also happen when you send your CV directly to a busy practice. It’ll be buried in a pile of hundreds – and nobody in a vet practice has time to look at hundreds of CVs.
A recruiter will send just a few of the very best candidates, all carefully screened (so yes – we vet vets). You want your CV to be in that tiny pile, because that’s the pile that will be looked at, and someone from that pile will almost certainly get the job.
A recruiter can negotiate your terms
If you have specific requirements in mind, a recruiter can not only sell you to the employer, but they can negotiate your terms for you. A recruiter can act as the middleman and get you the right role with the right salary and terms.
If these facts have put you off posting on job boards, get in touch with us today to discover how much easier it can be to find your ideal job.
